Pope Francis: Savour God's everyday miracles

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Source: Vatican Media

During his Sunday Angelus address, Pope Francis reflected on the day's Gospel which recounts the Lord's miracle of the loaves and the fishes, and invited all faithful to recognize and give thanks for all the ways the Lord blesses us with His daily graces...

The Pope pointed out that on this day there were three gestures that Jesus would repeat at the Last Supper, namely offering, giving thanks, and sharing, which, before reflecting on each, reminded are all actions carried out in the Eucharistic Celebration.

Turning first to "offering," the Pope said this element acknowledges that we have something good to give, and that we say respond with "our 'yes', even if what we have, is too little compared to what is needed." This, the Holy Father noted, is emphasized, during the Mass, when the priest offers the bread and wine on the altar, and each person offers himself, his own life.

While it is a gesture "that may seem small when we think of the immense needs of humanity, just like the five loaves and two fish in front of a crowd of thousands," the Pope recognized, "God makes it the material for the greatest miracle there is," namely the Lord making He Himself present among us, for the salvation of the world.

Then turning to the gesture of "giving thanks," the Pope said we must rejoice in how God has blessed us.

"Namely, we are to say to the Lord humbly and with joy that 'All I have is Your gift, and to thank You I can only give back to you what You gave me first, together with your Son Jesus, adding what I can: 'my feeble love.'"

The Pope recognized that this marks the moment of 'the blessing,' with which we give praise to God for His goodness, "while He sanctifies, consecrates and multiples the 'two copper coins' of our fragile efforts."

Lastly, the Pope turned to the third gesture of "sharing," recalling that during Mass, when together we approach the altar to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, "that the the fruit of everyone's gift transformed by the Lord into food for all."

This, the Pope said, "is a beautiful moment," which teaches us "to live every gesture of love as a gift of grace, both for those who give and those who receive an occasion to grow together as brothers and sisters, ever more joined in charity."

With this in mind, the Holy Father invited the faithful to join him in asking themselves some questions.

"Do I truly believe that, by the grace of God, I have something unique to give to my brothers and sisters," he asked, "or do I feel anonymously 'one among many'?"

Also, "Am I grateful to the Lord for the gifts with which He continuously manifests His love?"

And lastly, he said, "do I live sharing with others as a moment of encounter and mutual enrichment?"

Pope Francis concluded by asking Our Lady to help us live every Eucharistic celebration with faith, and to recognize and, every day, "savour" the "miracles" of God's grace.

After his reflection, Pope Francis said he was praying for the victims of the major landslide that has swept through a village in the south of Ethiopia. "I am close to that sorely tried population, and to those who are bringing relief," he said.

The Pope then spoke of the "many people in the world who suffer due to disasters and hunger" while "we continue to produce and sell weapons and burn resources, fueling wars, large and small."

"This is an outrage that the international community should not tolerate, and it contradicts the spirit of brotherhood of the Olympic Games that have just begun" he said.

"Let us not forget, brothers and sisters: war is defeat!"

The Pope concluded by remembering it was the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, on the theme 'Do not cast me off in my old age' (cf. Psalm 71:9). He said: "The abandonment of the elderly is indeed a sad reality to which we must not grow accustomed. For many of them, especially in these summer days, loneliness risks becoming a difficult burden to bear. The Day calls us to listen to the voice of the elderly who say, "Do not abandon me!", and to answer, "I will not abandon you!". Let us strengthen the alliance between grandparents and grandchildren, between young people and the elderly. Let us say "no" to the loneliness of the elderly! Our future depends a great deal on how grandparents and grandchildren learn to live together. Let us not forget the elderly!"

Finally Pope Francis asked for a round of applause for all grandparents.

Watch Sunday's Angelus on the Vatican Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKqDb6zx9So

Read the prepared text of Pope Francis' reflection: www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/angelus/2024/documents/20240728-angelus.html